Catching Up with Brendan Douglas

He was an unheralded three-star fullback out of single-A Aquinas High School in Augusta—then Georgia’s leading rusher, by only his sixth game as a Bulldog. Brendan Douglas made a significant impact on Georgia’s backfield, promptly and surprisingly. From 2013 through 2016, Douglas rushed for 747 yards—nearly half of that gained as a true freshman—and five touchdowns. He added 20 receptions for 216 yards and a touchdown.

UGASports.com recently caught up with Douglas, who is part of the re-opening and ownership of the Little Caesar’s Pizza on Baxter Street in Athens.

UGASports: Brendan, to start off with some background information, remind us again of your father’s relationship to Georgia football, Coach Erk Russell, Georgia Southern football, etc.

Douglas: “My dad, Pat Douglas, was at Georgia as a walk-on before following Coach Russell to Georgia Southern [in 1981]. Erk Russell had already made such an impact on my dad. It’s like, as soon as Coach Russell left [Georgia], my dad was like, ‘I’m going with you!’ My dad was the first scholarship football player at Georgia Southern after the program had gone away for a while (the program was dormant from 1942-1980). After a year of playing just exhibition games, my dad played his senior season (1982) for Coach Russell.” (In 14 games at Georgia Southern, including three exhibition games in 1981, safety Pat Douglas racked up a remarkable 12 interceptions.)

UGASports: So, living in Augusta, did you grow up a Georgia Southern fan? Was there any rooting interest in Georgia?

Douglas: “We were big Georgia Southern fans, for sure. We went to Statesboro a lot for GSU games back when Adrian Peterson was there tearing it up in the backfield (Peterson rushed for 7,590 career yards as an Eagle from 1998-2001). Watching their triple-option [offense] was always fun. At the time, I was a Georgia fan—but I was more so a fan of a few teams. My older brother John was a scholarship fullback at Auburn, so some of my family rooted for Auburn for a little bit. So, whether Georgia Southern, Auburn, and/or Georgia, we kind of rooted for them all. Of course, when I got to Georgia, everybody started rooting for the Dawgs.”

UGASports: Briefly talk about your recruiting process.

Douglas: “I was not a big-time recruit. At my small private school, Aquinas, I was just one of three seniors on the football team my senior year (2012-13). Still, Georgia Tech had been recruiting me for a while. I'd been committed to Tech for a little bit (for three weeks during January-February of 2013). But ultimately, I knew I wanted to go to Georgia.”

UGASports: When did you know you wanted to attend and play football at Georgia?

Douglas: “I was at one of the ‘Dawg Night’ camps. I really got along with all the coaches during the camp. But the one thing that sticks out—the exact moment when I knew I wanted to attend UGA—happened just before the camp started, when Coach [Mark] Richt got us all together and led us in prayer. It was awesome. I grew up in a family that prayed a lot, so that meant a lot to me.”

UGASports: And, you eventually got a scholarship offer from UGA—but it came close to signing day, right?

Douglas: “Yeah, it was pretty late in the process—maybe 10 days before signing day. UGA just wanted to make sure they had their class ‘together,’ so I wasn’t given long to make a decision (chuckling). I think I had about 48 hours to make up my mind. And I’ll admit, it was a tough decision—but I obviously made the right one in becoming a Bulldog.”

UGASports: So essentially, as soon as you become a Bulldog, you’re seeing the field—which was a surprise to most. Describe that entire process, including your first play at Georgia (vs. South Carolina in the second game of the 2013 season), when you reeled off a good gain while bowling over a couple of Gamecock defenders. And why didn’t you play in the opener that year, at Clemson?

Douglas: “I'd really busted it to make the bus (the travel roster) for the Clemson game, and likely would have. But I suffered a slight MCL tweak late in fall camp that year, so I had to sit out the game at Clemson. Missing that game was pretty heartbreaking for me. But, honestly, I was surprised like most people were when I got in when I did versus South Carolina. The game was still relatively close (Georgia had a 41-30 lead at the time) and there was still a good chunk of time when I got into the game (five-plus minutes remaining). I remember Coach McClendon (UGA’s then-running backs coach, Bryan McClendon) turned around to me and said, ‘All right, Brendan, you’re in, the next play!’ I wondered for a moment if he was really talking to me (laughing). I really had come to the conclusion that, besides maybe special teams, I wasn’t going to play as a true freshman until maybe a game when we were leading by a significant amount. As far as my first play—the run—my favorite part was how right when I was tackled, there was so much excitement along our sideline. That’s how you play the game—for your teammates. And, to see the excitement of my teammates at that moment was a really great moment.”

UGASports: Is there a specific game which stands out to you during your time at Georgia?

Douglas: “Against Missouri in 2014, I had a good many carries (13 for 65 rushing yards) and had the touchdown where I flipped into the end zone. But, the biggest moment I remember was against Florida my first season (2013). The Georgia-Florida game is so unique to begin with, and that particular game was close. Being able to be part of that game, and contributing a little, but mostly winning [23-20] really stands out.” (It marked the only time Douglas played on a Georgia team to defeat Florida, as the Bulldogs were defeated by the Gators from 2014-2016.)

UGASports: Individual games aside, what stands out to you regarding your time playing for the Bulldogs?

Douglas: “I came the year after Todd [Gurley] and Keith [Marshall], and the year before Nick [Chubb] and Sony [Michel]. So, the fact I was able to play with some really great running backs—some of the best Georgia's ever had—really stands out. I attended meetings with these greats, watched film with them, went through individual drills and all while we all helped one another out. Those four guys are not only awesome football players but are genuinely good guys, as well.”

UGASports: Going from Mark Richt to Kirby Smart as head coach prior to your senior year was obviously a significant transition. Still, how extreme was the transition?

Douglas: “Any coaching transition is likely going to be a tough one, especially this one (Richt to Smart) as it was somewhat of a surprise. I mean, we wound up winning 10 games the season Coach Richt was fired, so there were some people who were kind of surprised with his termination. But, for me, honestly, I instantly knew Coach Smart was a great coach the first meeting we had as a team—and I knew he was going to change the Georgia football program for the better. And, that’s what he’s done thus far. It certainly hurt to see Coach Richt leave. Like I said, what he did at the Dawg Night camp is why I came to Georgia in the first place—but I knew we’d be in good hands with Coach Smart.”

UGASports: After playing football at Georgia, you eventually got into coaching, correct? And where did you go from there?

Douglas: Yes, while I still had a couple of classes to take to graduate, I was an assistant for one year (2017-18) at my old high school, Aquinas. I really loved coaching. I jumped into wealth management after that—and, from there, the restaurant business.

UGASports: Yet, would you say you still get to “coach,” in a way, while working in the restaurant business? And, tell us about the coaches in your life.

Douglas: “Yes. A lot of coaches have made a big impact in my life, including my dad, who, not only played, but coached under Erk Russell at Georgia Southern as well. My dad loved coaching and probably would have stayed in coaching, but he and my mom kept having kids, and they didn’t pay coaches back then what they pay now (laughing). So, from my dad to my high school head coach, Matt Lezotte, to Coach Richt to Coach Smart to all the running back coaches I had, coaches have played a big part in my life. It might seem far-fetched, yet it’s really not, but I'm somewhat a ‘coach’ in what I do now as part-owner of the Little Caesar's in Athens. Most of our employees are young people—high schoolers, college kids—who are still developing to be the person they’ll ultimately be. Like the coaches in my life with me, I have an opportunity to have an impact on young people and potentially help influence who they’ll ultimately turn out to be.”

UGASports: Tell us all about the reopening of your pizza restaurant.

Douglas: “Travis Butler, who is a UGA alum and owns Butler Properties & Development in Athens, came up with the idea. We knew one another previously, and he reached out to me to see if I was interested. Eventually, I realized what a great opportunity it was and how much potential the Little Caesar’s store on Baxter had. Travis is a great guy who has been tremendous throughout this entire process. He and I bought an existing store—one that had been opened but needed a lot of work and fixing/touching up. So, we renovated the whole place and fixed up a lot of things in the store. So, Monday (January 18) was our grand re-opening. It’s like a brand new store, and we’re really excited about it. We’re so happy to be part of the Athens community.”

UGASports: You were married fairly recently?

Douglas: “Yes, my wife, Katie Douglas, as she goes by now, also went to the University of Georgia. We met there my sophomore year and dated throughout college. We got married in June of 2019. Katie works in finance in the private wealth management division for one of the top-five teams at Morgan Stanley. She really enjoys what she does.”

UGASports: In what ways do you still associate with the Georgia football program?

Douglas: “I try to attend anything I can. I love being in Athens on game days. Since I left—other than this season because of [COVID] going on—I come back to a couple of home games per year. I also play in the annual golf tournament that the lettermen’s club holds, and try to go to other lettermen events we have.”

UGASports: Finally, briefly describe what your time at UGA meant/means to you.

Douglas: “Primarily, I made some great, life-long friends at the University of Georgia, especially through the football program. I really enjoyed both coaching staffs I played under. The whole experience gave me life lessons as well. And, I’ll add there’s no doubt that Athens is the best college town in the country. Nothing can compete with attending college in Athens, Georgia.”